


Mystery Dungeon: Black Dawn

by SylvySylvy



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:09:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29576619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SylvySylvy/pseuds/SylvySylvy
Summary: Rihanna has always dreamed of being a famous explorer. It’s been her dream ever since she was little. Her adventure begins when a mysterious stranger washes up on the beach, knowing only his name.A single adventure with him turns into a grand adventure for both of them as they find new friends and explore places they never thought they could reach. But when time itself is threatened, the crew must find a solution before the world ends.(This fanfiction essentially is me taking the story and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky and adding my own twist to it. All characters are Gijinkas and I’ve taken some liberties to make this even more fun to write.)
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

RIHANNA

I pace nervously back and forth at the base of the stairs leading up to the Explorers’ Guild. The building looms just past the top of the stairs, huge braziers blazing on either side of the entrance. 

I’ve stood here probably a hundred times by now. But every single time, this place intimidates me. I don’t know why, but something feels wrong about me being here, as if a stranger walking up wanting to join the guild is a laughable idea. Get out of here, you nobody, the statue of the smiling guildmaster seems to say to me from its perch near the door. You’re not good enough to hang around real explorers.

No. I promised myself I wouldn’t get unnerved this time. If I don’t at least knock on that door, how can I ever be a real explorer? Clenching my fists and steeling my resolve, I hurriedly walk up the stairs and approach the big iron door. Before I can stop myself from doing so, I’ve knocked on it. 

A voice comes from the other side, a loud one. I’m startled by how loud it is and how fast the speaker’s reaction time was. It sounds like a guy. “IDENTIFY yourself! State your NAME and BUSINESS!”

I open my mouth to speak my name but my throat dries up and my words refuse to come out. I try to speak but only end up staying silent. I cringe and try to find that spark of courage I had before, but it’s long gone. Of course it is. And now that it’s gone, I don’t have any business here anymore. I turn around, still choked up and unable to speak, and I walk dejectedly back down the stairs. Of course I would choke right at the last second, I think to myself. Me, an explorer? I have no right to even think about that. 

I pull my personal treasure out of my bag. Looking at it, it doesn’t seem like it’s worth all that much, as it’s just a hunk of rock that looks like it came out of the floor in some kind of old building. But the strange swirling wing pattern on it has always been intriguing to me. I stare at the treasure, which I’ve dubbed a Relic Fragment, and I let out a disappointed huff. “So much for being my lucky charm. I guess luck doesn’t equal confidence, though.” I put it back in my bag and rub my temples.

I think about going home, back to my secluded little hideout, and I suddenly feel my stomach drop. Going straight home with nobody to talk to after yet another failed attempt at joining the Explorers’ Guild suddenly feels like more than I can bear. I decide to head for the beach instead. I sigh and pull an apple from my bag. Maybe the beach will be able to lift my spirits. I put a little pep in my step. If I hurry, I can find a nice spot to watch the sun set.

SYLVESTER

The tiny sliver of sunlight between my eyelids is excruciating, and I squeeze my eyes shut the instant I come to. Or I try to, anyway. My body doesn’t seem to be responding to me. I try to remember what happened and why I can’t move as my head throbs with intense pain. All that comes to me are images of complete empty darkness with sudden flashes of bright white light. The feeling of something important slipping away from me. The sound of my own voice screaming. Is it even my voice? I don’t remember anymore. What was I screaming about? 

I feel soft sand underneath me and try to touch it with my fingers, anything to feel somewhat grounded in reality, but that quickly proves to be unnecessary, as I feel my grip on consciousness fading. I drift away, glad to be rid of the headache even if it’s only until I wake up again.

RIHANNA

I inhale the salty air as I step onto the beach. Already I’m feeling much better. The breeze blows gently from the sea and catches bubbles from the foamy waves, sending bubbles floating everywhere. The bubbles sparkle in the setting sun like little round rainbow-colored diamonds. I breathe a long sigh of relief. 

The beach is a decently long walk from town, but it’s absolutely worth the trip. It’s a place where I feel as though my soul can find healing. As much as I feel like a coward for not being able to even give my name to the sentries at the guild, I can forget about all that nonsense here.

I close my eyes and inhale deeply again, then open my eyes and look down the beach. I frown as I notice something strange. A blue and black lump of something is resting on the sand. I wonder for a moment if it’s not somebody’s jacket that got lost and washed up here, but then I realize it’s sitting in the dry part of the sand. If it was in the water, it wouldn’t have blown over there. I approach curiously, then I see a head of black hair and I gasp, sprinting over as fast as I can.

“Hey! Are you alright?!” I skid to a halt near the person. They appear to be a guy, around my age (that being 19), dressed in a black shirt and loose pants like a fighter, and a dark blue jacket with a symbol of a rising black sun sewn on the back. He has a red fighter’s headband on, I notice as I quickly roll him into his back from his side. Where is this guy from, to be dressed like that? “Talk to me! Are you alive?”

I hear a groan. “Urgh… who… who are you…?” His eyes flutter open. I notice they’re a steely blue. “Another… person?”

SYLVESTER

A girl about my age is looking down at me. As my eyes finally adjust to the light, I start to make out more of her features. She’s blonde but with more strawberry blonde tips to her hair, and a short ponytail that fluffs up in the back. She’s sort of skinny and short, and she’s wearing knee-length boots, along with short brown shorts and a small orange jacket. Not a style I’m familiar with. Although… am I familiar with anything anymore? 

My body seems to be listening to me once again, and the headache has subsided. I sit up, rubbing the back of my head. I brush sand off myself and look around. The girl looks relieved. “Oh I’m so glad… I was really worried about you. Are you okay?”

I look at her and frown. “I don’t know. I can’t remember what happened… or who I am. I know my name is Sylvester. But aside from that…” I frown. “My mind is blank…”

The girl covers her mouth. “Oh no… Do you feel like you’re hurt anywhere, Sylvester? If this has something to do with an injury you should probably see a doctor!”

I shake my head. “No. I think I’m okay. I don’t know how to get my memory back, though.” 

She nods. “Well… I’m Rihanna, and you’re on the beach just outside Treasure Town. Do you know where Treasure Town is?”

I shake my head again.

She sighs. “Well, I’ll show you around. I’ll do whatever I can to help you get your memory back, okay?”

I’m about to nod when she suddenly tumbles forward and lands on top of me, her face bumping into my chin. I look up to see a guy in a purple hooded cloak that hides all of his face except his mouth, and a chubby guy wearing a purple shirt with a brown skull and crossbones on it. Both of the guys look tough. 

“Oops, my bad,” the cloaked guy says. “Didn’t mean to bump into you. Heh-heh-heh.”

The chubby guy laughs. “Whoa-ho-ho! Hey, looks like you dropped this!” He picks up a chunk of rock laying where Rihanna was just kneeling in the sand before they pushed her. “I’ll be taking that!”

Rihanna stands up, indignant. “Why, you-!”

The guy smirks. “What? Gonna cry? If you wanna get it back, just fight me for it!”

“Yeah! Heh-heh-heh.” The cloaked guy punches the chubby guy in the arm. “We saw you holding onto that thing at the guild entrance. Figured we’d mess with you. Who knows, maybe it’ll fetch a good price.”

Rihanna’s voice is shaky, like she’s trying to sound brave even though she’s not. “Y-you can’t sell that! It’s mine!”

“Ours now! Unless you wanna take it back! Whoa-ho-ho!” The chubby guy guffaws and pockets the rock. “See you around, chicken. C’mon, Zulu, let’s go somewhere this wimp can’t follow us to!”

Zulu, the cloaked guy, nods. “Yeah, let’s go to the Beach Cave, Kory. Follow us there if you want your treasure back. And if you even can. See you around, wimp.”

The two of them smirk and head off down the beach. Rihanna doesn’t make a move to go after them, instead trembling and turning around, not meeting my eyes. She looks like she’s about to cry. “Oh no…. what’ll I do…?”

I stand up, feeling a lot better with my feet under me. “What did they steal?”

“My personal treasure! It means everything to me. It’s my good luck charm and it always helps me feel better when I’m feeling down. Without it, I dunno what I’ll do!” Tears start to form at the corners of her eyes.

I look down the beach. “Well… I’ll help you! Let’s go get it!”

She gives me an incredulous look. “What? You’re gonna help me get it back? But those guys are really strong! Do you know how to fight?”

I frown. “I don’t know. But something is telling me yes. I don’t know how strong I am, but I know how to fight at least! If I don’t use that to help you, then what kind of person am I?”

She seems skeptical. “What kind of magic do you use?”

I shake my head. “I forget. I didn’t even know Magic was a thing. I think I use… some kind of martial art?” I shake my head. “Look, now’s not the time! Let’s go get that treasure of yours back!”

Rihanna breathes deeply for a few moments and calms herself. “You’re right. Thank you, Sylvester. Those guys don’t have very powerful magic anyway. I actually know them a little. I’ll lead the way to the cave!” She shivers a little. “It’s a scary place but with you there, I should be okay!”

I nod and put a hand on her shoulder. “You can count on me to back you up,” I say firmly, then let go of her shoulder to let her lead the way. She leads me down the beach toward a rocky outcropping. 

Before long, I notice a jagged opening in the outcropping. Two sets of footprints lead inside, one lighter set and one heavier set that displaced the sand around them. Rihanna shivers a little. “Okay… This is the cave they wanted us to come to. It’s dark inside, so I’ll show you my magic on the way in.”

We take a few steps inside and Rihanna closes her eyes, focusing for a moment, and then a small flame starts dancing on her palm, lighting the way for us. I look around, seeing all kinds of seashells strewn about, as well as the set of footprints. Lucky for us, it’s low tide, at least from what looks like the high-tide mark of the cave. If it were high tide we’d be lost in seconds, as the path branches off many times to other places. 

Rihanna snuffs out her flame and shudders. “Okay… I can see sunlight. I think we’ve found them.”

I nod. “Let’s go get your treasure back!”

Rihanna nods at me and we walk forward, out of the dark twisting cave and into a large cavern. Above us is a large hole letting sunlight in, and around us is a ring of water. Some of it actually looks like it opens out into the sea. Sitting on a big rock at the other side of the huge room are the two guys from before. They notice us and smirk.

“Well, well. Looks like the chicken and her new wimpy friend came after all. Heh-heh-heh. Where’d she pull you from, weakling?” The skinny guy grins down at me. “All this over a rock?”

The big guy cracks his knuckles and stares silently at us. Rihanna takes a step forward. I see her tremble for a moment, but she gets ahold of herself. “Give… Give me back what you stole from me! That’s my personal treasure and I want it back!”

The big guy chuckles, finally breaking his silence. “Whoa-ho-ho! The chicken finally got the courage to stand up to us!”

“Heh-heh-heh. Too bad courage doesn’t make you strong.”

I interject. “And picking on people who are just trying to live in peace does? You wouldn’t get truly strong by only ever fighting a punching bag that can’t fight back.” I glare at both of them. “If you want to fight, just say so. The two of us can take you on.”

“Fine. Heh-heh-heh. I’ll take the new wimp, Kory. You can deal with the other one.”

Kory grins. “Whoa-ho-ho! Hear that, chicken? You get to fight me today.”

Zulu comes at me. “You’re gonna regret ever messing with a user of the Flying Bat Fist style!”

“Bring it on,” I say, letting my body take the lead and dropping into a fighting stance.

RIHANNA

Kory grins as little firecracker-sized explosions pop in his hands. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waitin’ to blow you to smithereens!”

I wince. Explosion magic. Sort of rare, but a decent amount of people are able to use it. I start to back away, scared. Wait, no! I can’t be doing that! I have Sylvester, and he brought me here. I tremble but I set both my hands on fire. I have one single attack, but at least it’s a useful one. 

“Oh, you’ve got some backbone! Great. That gives me something to break!”

He lunges at me and I throw two fireballs at him, one from each hand, then I dive to the side. He takes the fireballs to the face. He grunts in pain and turns to face me, looking angrier. “Why you-!”

Before he can finish, I’ve hit him again. He recovers quickly and blasts the sand underneath him, sending a cloud of sand into the air. I shield my eyes and he grabs my arm, punching me in the stomach with an explosion to boost it. 

I hear Sylvester shout my name as I fly across the cavern, bouncing on the sand a couple times and sliding to a halt. I gasp for air and roll over, right next to the edge of the water. Thankfully I’m not drenched. That would have been bad.

I hear his footsteps coming. Come on, think, Rihanna, THINK! I can shoot fireballs. And that’s it. But they don’t seem to faze him at all. 

“Man, I knew you were weak, but I didn’t know you were this weak! Do you even want to win?”

I grit my teeth. I have an idea, but it’s gonna take a lot of magic power. If I fail, I’m going to lose. I set both hands ablaze, creating as many fireballs as I possibly can, but not launching them. It’s taking all the control I have but soon I have about twenty. Kory arrives right then. “Whoa-ho-ho! I smacked you all the way across the room!”

I stand up, the fireballs behind me glowing brightly. For a moment, he falters. Then he smirks.

“Yeah, right. Those are gonna hurt me?”

“Hopefully,” I say.

Then I fire them all at his face.

SYLVESTER

Zulu comes at me, leaping forward and doing a barrel roll midair, aiming at my face. I sidestep him quickly and he lands on his feet, turning around and dragging his foot through the sand, kicking at me and flinging sand at my eyes. I shield my eyes with one hand and catch his fist with my other hand. He looks surprised.

“You’re not too bad. Where DID she find you?”

“Laying unconscious on the beach,” I reply. I quickly dash at him. He takes a stance as if he’s going to grapple with me but I stop short with one foot, using my momentum to flip forward and come down with a kick to his collarbone. I land on the ground while he’s holding his shoulder and immediately launch into a roundhouse kick to his chest. He stumbles backwards and then grins. 

“Heh-heh-heh. Time to show you the secret of the Flying Bat Fist, then.” He unfurls his cape and I notice there are lightweight metal bars inside it. He grabs ahold of a couple handles inside the cape, flaps his arms, and launches toward me on actual wings.

Taking me by surprise, he kicks me from above. I fall over and hit the soft sand. I spit sand out of my mouth as I hear a small explosion and see Rihanna go bouncing across the sand. “RIHANNA!”

“Do you really have time to worry about her?” I have no time to respond as I get kicked in the back of the head. And then kicked again. And again. 

“This is the Flying Bat Fist! Attacking without giving your opponent time to think!” He laughs and swoops in again. I see him coming from behind for a sweeping kick to my legs so I leap above him. He tries to hit me but I dodge and land on the ground, now having a moment to think and having him in my sight.

Wait a moment, I shouldn’t have been able to see him, I realize. He came from behind. What was that? Did I just predict the future?

Zulu’s eyes are wide with what looks like nervousness. “What? How on earth did that chicken get so lucky? You’re an aura magic user! And you’re just helping her retrieve a lost item?”

I remember Rihanna mentioning magic. Is that my magic? I try to imagine what aura magic is like. “I guess that’s what I’m doing. At least until I figure out my magic.”

“What? You don’t know how to use it? Didn’t you just predict what I was going to do!?” He looks almost angry. Which is understandable, since his apparent best move just got found out by a newbie.

I shrug, then get back into my fighting stance. “Accident. Are you still gonna fight me?”

Zulu grits his teeth. “You jerk…! I’ll teach you to make a fool of me!” He flies up to the top of the cavern, then turns downward into a dive. 

I try to think of how I could use my aura magic. I seem to vaguely recall something about a fighter’s spirit making them stronger. I try to will myself to become stronger as Zulu changes direction at the last second, rocketing towards me. “Nope,” I say, bummed. I crouch as he gets close, then come up with a powerful kick underneath him, directly to his ribcage. He grunts in pain as my kick stops him cold. He falls to the ground, gasping for air. I sigh.

“I just can’t figure out how my magic works,” I complain.

RIHANNA

I trudge over to Zulu. “Where’s my Relic Fragment?”

He coughs. “How did you guys beat us? We’re-“

I create a flame in my hand. “Give it to me or I use this.”

Zulu quickly becomes more cooperative, frantically tossing it to me and scrambling across the sand. “Here! Take it!”

Sylvester rubs the back of his head and sighs. “Zulu kicked me a bunch. Too bad it didn’t jostle my memory. Anyway, we got your treasure back!”

I nod. “Yeah! Um… let’s leave these guys and go talk somewhere else!”

He nods in agreement. We start to walk out of the cave when Zulu’s hushed voice reaches us. “Next time, we’ll be stronger.” I hear him wheeze, inhaling for his next sentence. “We won’t lose to you wimps again!”

Sylvester rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll look forward to it.” He leads the way out of the cave, leaving the two bullies behind. 

We make our way through the tunnels a second time, backwards now. I clutch my treasure close as we walk. I’m so glad to have it back. And it’s all thanks to Sylvester. If he hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have been able to go after them, I think to myself. “Hey, Sylvester?” I say quietly.

“Yeah?”

I smile. “Thank you.”

SYLVESTER

“An explorer?” I ask as we walk down the path that apparently leads to Treasure Town. “What does an explorer do?”

Rihanna’s eyes sparkle with excitement. “Oh, lots of things! They rescue people, they find treasure, they explore new lands, and they catch nasty outlaws! There’s an explorer’s guild in the town, and I’ve always wanted to join it! I even tried joining earlier today! Well…” Her face darkens. “If you can even call it that, that is.”

I frown, taking a bite of the apple she gave me. “What do you mean?”

“I get to the door and then I can’t even tell them I wanna be an explorer. I just feel like I’ll get there and embarrass myself.” She kicks a rock. “They don’t need a newbie like me running around. You saw how I barely beat Kory back there. I’d just be a hindrance to the rest of them.”

I go silent for a moment. “Well, you know you can’t just become an explorer with no help. You need training and a way to get jobs, right? At least going off of what you’ve told me. If they’re a guild that accepts new trainees, you should just sign up and try to learn and become more capable!”

She sighs. “Yeah, but I can’t even talk when I get to that door. The words just catch in my throat.” She stops walking, looking down at the ground nervously. “But… when I think about it, back there at the beach, having you there really helped me take action. Having a friend with me makes me feel more brave. I know I don’t have any right to ask, since you lost your memory and you already did me a huge favor. But I want to ask. Will you join the guild with me? We could form an exploration team together! And we could investigate and try to recover your memory while we’re at it!” 

She looks up again and meets my eyes as she asks me the question. Looking into her eyes, I see determination. Hers are the eyes of someone who has what it takes to achieve their dream. All she needs is me there to give her courage. Is that really all I need from her to make such an important decision? Well, we will be looking into my lost memory, I remind myself. It’s always good to have someone I can rely on in a world where I don’t know anyone. I break into a smile.

“Yeah. Let’s do it!”


	2. Black Dawn: Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The duo arrives at the Explorers’ Guild and gets registered as an exploration team.

SYLVESTER

“So,” I say as we approach the steps that supposedly lead to the Adventurers’ Guild. It’s a rather nice little crossroads, with a well nearby under some shady trees. I sit with Rihanna on top of a large flat rock. According to Rihanna, this rock is a well-known gathering spot for the guild members and the citizens of Treasure Town. “All we have to do is go in here and ask to join up as guild members? Is that what you’re saying?”

Rihanna nods. “Basically. But it’s more  
intimidating than it sounds. I went up there and couldn’t even speak.” She looks dejected for a moment, but then steels herself, her face set in a determined glare. “But I have you here now! I’ll be able to give my name!”

I smile. “Alright. We’d better hurry. It’s almost sunset.” 

Rihanna looks up at the sky and then gives me a nod before hopping off the rock. “Alright! Let’s do this!”

We walk up the steps to the guild. I have to admit, it really is designed to intimidate. Two big braziers with blazing flames, and a statue we have to walk around to get to the door. It’s a statue of a kindly-looking old man with only a small patch of curly hair. The creator of this statue must be quite skilled, as they managed to capture both kindness and ferocity in the old man’s face. 

Rihanna breathes deeply. “Okay… I can do this…. I have Sylvester with me now,” she mutters to herself. I stand back, watching and giving her some space. She knocks on the door and I’m surprised by a loud voice.

“Who IS IT?! State your NAME and your BUSINESS!”

Rihanna opens her mouth to speak and falls silent. I watch her set her jaw and clench her fist before yelling in return. “I’m Rihanna! I live in Treasure Town and I want to be an explorer! I’ve brought my friend Sylvester with me!”

There’s a short silence and then the door opens. A guy dressed in a purple outfit with black and red accents stands in front of us. He’s wearing shaded goggles so we can’t see his expression and I notice strange-looking gauntlets on his hands. “All RIGHT!” he yells. “Head on IN! Don’t DAWDLE, just go speak to the guildmaster's ASSISTANT!” 

Rihanna winces every time he raises his voice, but he genuinely doesn’t seem to realize he’s yelling, so neither of us say anything as we nod and walk into the guild. The door closes behind us and we enter a big open room through some double doors.

People in interesting outfits are everywhere. I wasn’t able to recognize Rihanna’s style, but it definitely seems to match everyone else’s here. Wacky outfits, but all of them seem to make an impression. I get a nod from a curly-haired guy wearing a brown fedora and carrying a lasso on his belt. “Howdy, howdy! Y’all must be new, yup-yup! I’ll go let Maestro know!” His smile is warm and genuine.

Rihanna smiles nervously. “Okay. Thank you!”

He smiles so wide that his eyes nearly close. “Alrighty then! You all just stay put right there.” He tips his hat and heads off toward a different room. Rihanna turns to me and looks petrified.

“I’m so excited! I didn’t think I’d be able to get this far! But I’m also really scared. What if we aren’t able to join?”

Before I can answer, the guy with the lasso is back. He’s brought another person with him, a tall man who seems to be somewhat old, probably in his early sixties or so. The man wears a blue-and-green tailcoat and a pink and white shirt underneath with a black musical symbol emblazoned on his chest, but despite his odd outfit, his eyes are stern and he seems like he means business. He stares critically down at the two of us.

“I am Maestro. Lariat here told me that the two of you wanted to become guild members.”

Rihanna steels herself and nods. “Y-yes sir!”

“Maestro” looks down at us, seemingly deep in thought. I frown. “Maestro. Lariat. Are those odd names in this part of the world?”

Rihanna shakes her head and turns to Maestro. “Sorry, sir. They don’t have explorers where he comes from. He’s from a faraway place even he doesn’t know how to find. Those are explorer names, Sylvester. They’re kind of like nicknames explorers get that they use as their work identities!”

I nod, understanding. “Oh, okay.”

Maestro strokes his chin thoughtfully. “You seem quite knowledgeable on how this works.”

Rihanna nods excitedly. “It’s been my dream to be an explorer ever since I was little, so I know a lot about lots of famous ones! I’ve even read up on some of your Guildmaster’s adventures!”

“Oh, a fan, eh? Alright. What kind of magic do you use?”

“I use flame magic,” Rihanna says. “But it’s weak for now. I want to train and get stronger here!”

Maestro nods and turns to me. “And you?”

“I wasn’t too sure about magic but I’ve been told I have aura magic.”

Maestro’s eyes widen. “Aura magic? That’s quite a rare find. How do I know you aren’t pulling my leg?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. I can’t quite control it yet. Maybe I can get help doing that at this place.”

Maestro nods and thinks for a little while longer. “Well, I’ll give you one warning. Guild training is tough. There’s a steady stream of people leaving just as fast as they come in. If this is some little excursion you’re planning, you won’t have any fun just trying out exploring. So if you’re here just to try it out, you’d better leave.”

Rihanna shakes her head vehemently. “No! I’ve wanted to be an explorer ever since I was a little girl! And Sylvester wants to find his homeland, so he’s down for the long haul as well!”

Maestro turns to me. “Awfully odd that you’re not saying anything, er… Sylvester. Is that true? You don’t know where your homeland is?”

I nod. “I have no idea where I’m from. But becoming an explorer may help me find out!”

Maestro thinks for a little longer and then sighs. “Well. If you’re really sure about it… come with me. Let’s get you an interview with the Guildmaster.” He beckons us to follow him as he walks upstairs. We pass what look like the guild members’ rooms. There are plenty of empty spaces, and the rooms look cozy in an odd sort of way. The guild is huge, I notice as we walk.

We approach a large ornate set of double doors. Maestro clears his throat. “Guildmaster! I’m coming in!”

With a loud creak, Maestro opens the doors. He steps aside. 

“I’ve brought new recruits, Guildmaster! They want to join the guild as an exploration team!”

I see a man outlined in the window and I inhale sharply. I’m seeing him from behind and the sunlight is making him hard to see, but I recognize the hair curl. This is the man they made the statue of. The guildmaster. He must be unimaginably powerful if the ferocity in his statue’s eyes is anything to go off of. He looks out the window, hands folded behind him as he stares.

“Guildmaster…?” Maestro looks a little nervous. “Hello?”

There’s a long, silent pause. Then suddenly the Guildmaster is turned around and facing us. His expression has exactly none of the fierceness I saw in the statue, and about five times the amount of joy. This is a man who’s accustomed to having fun with life. “Hello!” he starts with a friendly wave. “I’m Guildmaster Curly! Did I hear Maestro right when he said you two wanted to become an exploration team? What a wonderful thing to do! Let’s be friends!”

He’s bouncing back and forth between Rihanna and I, shaking our hands and talking fast. Maestro rubs his temples behind us as the Guildmaster settles down just a little.

“Okay, friendly friends! Just a couple things. What magic do you have? Or do you have magic? We have a recruit right now with no magic but he does quite well without!”

Rihanna seems taken aback by how childlike the Guildmaster is, but she responds after a moment. “I have flame magic.”

I raise my hand a little. “And I have aura magic.”

“Whoa! Aura magic! That’s so cool! You should show me sometime! Alright, and what’s your team name?”

Rihanna facepalms. “Aw no! I got so caught up in what we were doing I forgot to think of a team name!” She pouts, trying to think. “Hmmm…”

I think as well. A team name. What would even be a good team name? I sigh. I don’t even know of any teams to compare it to. I adjust my jacket absentmindedly, making sure it’s comfortable.

Wait a second. 

I tap Rihanna on the shoulder. “Hey! You know how I have the symbol of a rising sun on my jacket! Maybe we could call ourselves Team Dawn!”

Rihanna thinks for a moment. “Team Dawn?”

“Yeah! Cause of my symbol, and cause this is like a new beginning for us. Does it work?”

“Hmmmm…” Rihanna gives it some more thought, then shrugs. “Alright. I like Dawn better than anything I came up with! We’re Team Dawn!”

Guildmaster Curly nods and registers our names and our team name. “All right! Exploration teams are allowed to have as many teammates as they want, as long as the teammate is affiliated with this guild, as long as they work, and as long as they register so we can ensure they’re a good representative of our guild. Now, I’d like you to take these.” He hands us two silver badges with wings. They dangle from thin chains. 

Rihanna’s eyes sparkle. “Whoa! Explorer badges! These identify us as part of this guild, Sylvester. If we show them to the Explorers’ Guilds in other towns they’ll help us out!”

Guildmaster Curly nods. “Yup! That’s exactly right, young lady! I can tell you’re quite knowledgeable! So I feel like you’re probably the one I should entrust with this, hm?” He pulls a pouch from his desk, the kind that hangs from a belt. It’s a largish one, and comes with many smaller pouches. Rihanna nods. 

“I’ll handle the explorer kit for us! Thank you, Guildmaster!” She gives him a small bow.

“Absolutely! Now it’s time for my favorite part of the guild initiation!” I see a twinkle in his eye. “Alright, let’s see….. Boomburst and Lariat. Maestro, would you bring those two to the training grounds?”

Maestro gives us a small smile and nods. “Absolutely, Guildmaster.” He leaves the room and Guildmaster Curly beckons for us to follow him as we leave a moment later.

“This is always my favorite part,” the Guildmaster says. “I think you’ll love it too! Do me a favor and just go right down this hallway, okay?”

He ushers us through a door and closes it behind us. Rihanna and I travel down the hallway like he said. There’s a set of double doors at the end. I open them and suddenly I’m met with bright firelight and the light of the setting sun. I look around and see people in all kinds of interesting outfits making their way to what looks like a set of grandstands. There aren’t very many, though. Maybe because they didn’t have much notice? I frown. 

“Rihanna, any idea what’s going on?”

She shakes her head. “Not a clue. Are we supposed to perform or something?”

I look across the field and see the guy with the lasso from before, as well as the guy with the weird gauntlets. We met Lariat already, so the guy with the gauntlets must be Boomburst. 

I see Maestro go to what looks like an announcer’s booth, grabbing a bullhorn to be able to yell and reach all of our ears. 

“Ladies, gentlemen, and others! Thank you for coming to this last minute event! Today we initiate two new rookies into the guild! I want you to watch them closely! And to the two of you - I like your determination. Put on a good show for us, will you?” He chuckles. “Good luck! Let the fight begin!”

I freeze. “Fight? We have to fight experienced guild members?”

Rihanna’s breathing isn’t right. I can hear her about to hyperventilate. “I can’t fight them! I need to train more!” I can hear the panic in her voice. 

Quickly, I clap loudly. She flinches but she seems to be brought back to earth. “Alright, here’s what we’re gonna do,” I say. “We’re gonna do our best. I doubt they expect us to win. So let’s do what Maestro said and put on a good show, okay? You gotta stay calm. I’m here!” I grin at her. “Like you said at the entrance to the guild, remember?”

Rihanna takes a couple deep breaths. “Okay… you’re right!”

Meanwhile, Boomburst and Lariat have gotten close. Lariat gives me a wry grin. “Sorry, partner! This is the guild’s tradition with newcomers! Don’t worry yourselves about it. Just show us all what ya got, yup yup!”

Boomburst chuckles. “I’m getting FIRED UP! Let’s DO this!!!” 

Rihanna sets her hands on fire and points them at Lariat. “Alright, Sylvester! I’ll keep him moving around! You handle Boomburst!” She rushes at Lariat, throwing fireballs. He dodges them, but definitely seems as though he’s on his toes. I turn to face Boomburst, who’s grinning at me.

“All RIGHT! Looks like I got a TOUGH one, huh?”

I give him a weak smile. “I’ll do my best. I don’t know how to use my magic.”

“Well, that's TOO bad. Cause I DO!” He stomps the ground, taking a firmly planted stance and pointing his arms behind him. “Let’s see what you GOT! SOUND magic: BLAST BOOM!” His arms go from pointing behind him to pointing at me with one big clap. I notice a circular indent on each of his palms as his gauntlets clap together, then I’m hit with a shockwave that throws me off my feet. I quickly recover and hop back up. 

“Impressive. So that’s sound magic.” I take my fighting stance. I try to visualize my magic, but I can’t seem to figure out how to draw out its power. Boomburst chuckles.

“YEAH! That’s my MAGIC! You LIKE it?”

I nod. “Yeah. Let’s see what else you’ve got.”

He grins. “I LIKE you ALREADY!” I see the air around his hands start to ripple and I watch him intently, trying to recapture the moment when I predicted what Zulu was going to do. “SONIC PUNCH!” he yells, and rushes me. 

My attempt to predict him doesn’t work, but I manage to dodge the actual hits, although the shockwaves still mess with me. I manage to get close enough to grab him and I throw him away from me. I let out a breath, trying to focus. How do I draw out my power? I try to imagine what Rihanna does. She says her magic is weak right now. But to fight, she first sets her hands on fire. Her magic definitely seems weak despite being concentrated in her hands. Wait…!

I take my stance again, focusing all my willpower to my hands. I just need to be able to use my hands anyway for now, so I’m going to concentrate my magic in my hands if I can. I focus as hard as I can and suddenly I feel something different. My hands feel stronger somehow. I look at my hands and see a soft blue glow emanating from them. Boomburst looks impressed. “That’s COOL! But can ya USE it?”

I smirk. “One way to find out, isn’t there?” I take a defensive stance. 

He smirks back. “Yeah. I’m gonna hit you GOOD, so you’d better figure it OUT.”

I ready up as he rushes me, pulling his right fist back to throw another Sonic Punch. He throws the punch and I instinctively grab his hand, still glowing with my aura. The sound shockwave explodes, but for some reason I can’t feel any pain. Boomburst grunts as he gets caught in his own shockwave and stumbles back. He catches himself and wipes off a bit of dirt that landed on his face after his shockwave. The small crowd starts to go wild as Boomburst turns to face me.

“That’s pretty COOL! But it looks like YOU lost your FOCUS. I won’t go AFTER you anymore, you gave us a GOOD SHOW!”

I smile at him and then turn to watch Rihanna.

RIHANNA

I throw fireball after fireball at Lariat, but somehow he dodges every one. His friendly smile doesn’t fade the entire time he’s dodging. “Hey, you’re pretty good with those, ain’t ya?”

I take three and launch all three at once, stopping and resting for a moment to catch my breath. Lariat grins. 

“You’re pretty good at long range attacks but you should probably make sure you can throw those faster for the future!” He pulls out his lasso, getting ready to throw it.

I set my left hand ablaze and point it at him, shooting more fireballs. I feel his lasso tighten around my wrist and he yanks me forward. I see him grin as I get pulled closer. I strike downward with my right fist, which isn’t on fire. He steps back one time as I plant my hand on the ground, launching into a cartwheel as I focus my magic into my right foot, kicking him in the chest with a small flaming burst. 

I land on my side on the ground as he stumbles backward. He catches himself and grins at me. “Now THAT was a nice move! Awesome job!” He smiles and offers a hand to help me up, which I take. “Thanks for the show!”

I give him a wry smile. “So… what’s the point of this fight?”

“You’ll see! Maestro will tell you in just a moment. Here he comes now!”

Maestro is indeed striding over to us, a smile on his face. “Bravo! Amazing, both of you!” Sylvester comes up to us as well. “The two of you have done a good job. You may be confused as to why we had you do this. But it is important! This is how we are determining your explorer names!”

Sylvester frowns. “We don’t get to choose them ourselves?”

Maestro shrugs. “Some people do. But with two rookies like you with no achievements under your belt, we need to see how you fight! Of course your name can change over time. But it’s important to have a name to give people that will inspire respect! So, Sylvester! Come forward!”

Sylvester takes a step forward, looking back at me and then at Maestro.

Maestro reaches out to shake his hand. “Because of your blue aura and the strong defensive ability you showed, you have gotten the nickname of “Blue Steel!” He bows respectfully. “And Rihanna! Step forward!”

I take Sylvester’s place. My heart is pounding and I take a few deep breaths to calm myself. Sylvester stands behind me, and I steel myself as he shakes my hand.

“For your flames and the way you were able to put all your power into one strike, you have earned the name “Flare!” He bows to me as well. “May the two of you have grand adventures! This concludes your acceptance into the guild. Your training begins tomorrow!” He smiles. “Good luck.”

He leaves and Boomburst and Lariat shake our hands before following. I turn to Sylvester who grins at me.

“So, Flare. You excited about becoming official?”

I smile. He really is nice. 

“Yeah.”


	3. Black Dawn - Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team meets a mysterious new guy, and learns of their first outlaw.

SYLVESTER

The next few weeks went by fairly quickly. Rihanna and I have been training relentlessly and doing missions, things like retrieving lost items and escorting people to places. It’s basic work, but the promise of greater adventures is keeping the two of us going. 

I sit down on a bench in the training grounds, wiping some sweat from my brow. Rihanna is already sitting on the bench, drinking some water from a canteen. “How’s your training going?”

I drink some water as well. “Pretty good. For right now I’m able to use my aura on both hands, and my feet. You?”

Rihanna smiles. “Awesome! I’m able to shoot more fireballs and make them faster now. I even have a special move! It’s the one I used on Kory! I call it the Flare Flurry and I can do it much easier now!”

I put out a fist and she bumps it. “So, I’m getting hungry,” I say. “Wanna go get lunch in town?”

Rihanna nods. “Let’s do it! I’m hungry too!” She gets up and bounces on her feet for a moment to loosen up before we head away from the guild training grounds and down the road to Treasure Town.

It’s a bustling place, full of people coming and going. Plenty of them are wearing the odd outfits unique to explorers and carrying weapons, but as the town was literally made with the intention of being a hub for explorers, it’s no problem to anyone involved. From the history Rihanna has told me, it apparently was built around the Explorers’ Guild with the idea that the town’s economy would thrive off of exploration efforts. The guild is the centerpiece of the town, but the market street lined with shops and restaurants is what people see first. As Rihanna and I walk the streets, passing explorers and normal citizens as we go, I can easily see Treasure Town is just what the founders intended: a massive gathering place for explorers from every town and guild in the land. We head to a small place that has the best beef noodles in town, or so Rihanna tells me. We’ve had them before and they’re pretty good, though, so I’m inclined to believe her.

“Finally,” Rihanna says. She turns to smile at me as we walk through the door. “So what’re you thinking of ge-?!” She’s interrupted as a rather big and muscular guy comes walking out of the shop. Judging from his clothes, he looks to be an explorer, and he scowls down at Rihanna, towering over her. He’s got a full beard, a big nose, and a battle hammer holstered on his back.

“Hey! Watch where you’re going, runt!”

Rihanna rubs the back of her neck, giving him a nervous smile. “Oh, my apologies sir! I should’ve been looking where I was going!”

“Some good that does! Are you trying to start a fight or something, kid?” His glare fixes on Rihanna and she goes silent, freezing up, unable to speak. The guy’s buddy, a stocky man with a staff, is watching me, so I can’t move to help her. “Are ya trying to start a fight with the great explorer Hammerhead?”

“‘Scuse me,” says a quiet voice from behind Hammerhead. The mountain of a man turns around and grunts. 

“Exactly who do you think you’re talkin’ to, punk?”

The source of the voice comes into view as Hammerhead shifts his weight. A skinny guy about my age, with blonde hair. His eyes are an intriguing amber-gold color, but they have the look of someone who’s been bored for a very, very long time. He wears a sky-blue jacket with a black fur collar and black pants. I can see gold cuffs on his wrists. He’s got his thumbs in his pockets as he stares emotionlessly at Hammerhead. “I’m just trying to get through the door, you jerk.”

“Listen here! The great explorer Hammerhead doesn’t take very kindly to bein’ pushed around! If you’ve got something to say, you’d better say it with your fists, punk.”

The blonde guy jerks his thumb toward the road. “Fine. We fight over there, then.” He casually strides over and takes his place on the road. Hammerhead growls under his breath as he takes his hammer out and grips it with both hands. I clench my fists. 

“Hey, that’s cheating! He hasn’t even got a weapon!” I glare at Hammerhead. “Don’t you have any honor?!”

“Rules never said no weapons.” Hammerhead smirks. “He can’t change ‘em now!”

The blonde guy yawns. “Hmph. You talk big, but I heard your buddy when you were in the shop. You’re no great explorer. You got lost on the way here and got beat up by a passing Class D outlaw. What a joke. I can beat you with one finger.” He waggles his fingers tauntingly.

Hammerhead’s already-ugly face contorts in rage and I see a vein pop out on his forehead. “Why you-!” He swings his hammer, bringing it down hard where the blonde guy is standing. Or at least, was standing. The blonde guy is gone before the hammer hits the ground. Hammerhead looks confused. “Huh?!”

The blonde guy lands from his jump on the handle of the battle hammer and curls his finger to flick Hammerhead. I hear crackling like thunder as his eyes flicker ever-so-slightly. 

“Told you.” 

He flicks Hammerhead on his forehead and there’s a sound like thunder. Hammerhead staggers back and collapses to the ground, knocked out. The blonde guy looks disappointed. “Tsk. I figured as much. And to think he almost got my hopes up.” He walks over to Rihanna and I as casually as could be, like he didn’t just beat a guy with one flick. “You, the blonde girl. You made the right choice not speaking there. That guy was itching to beat up someone weaker than him and you would’ve done perfectly, at least as you are now. You two from Curly’s guild?”

I nod. “Yeah. Thanks for that, by the way. What’s your name?”

“My name’s Dylan, but I go by Static. I decided to become an explorer to try and help me reach my goals. But I don’t wanna join up with a guild. I just wanna protect people and fight strong opponents.”

I smile. “I’m Sylvester, or Blue Steel if you wanna use my explorer name. That’s my partner Flare. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t shown up.”

He smirks. “C’mon. You? I can tell from looking at you, you’d have jumped in to fight that guy if he tried to hurt your friend. Probably would’ve won, too.”

Rihanna frowns. “You’re certainly a little strange. But thanks for save there.”

Static nods. “You guys seem cool. Maybe we’ll meet again sometime.” He waves and heads down the road as a few members of Curly’s guild, having heard about the situation, come to bring Hammerhead to the police. His buddy is long gone. Rihanna gasps as she looks at the Static’s back.

“A four-pointed star!” She points at his back. Indeed, emblazoned on the sky-blue jacket he’s wearing is a four-pointed yellow star. “I didn’t notice it during the fight. That symbol means he’s from the Star shinobi clan! But they don’t normally leave their village unless it’s work-related, and especially not at his age. That’s certainly odd…” She frowns. “I guess it takes all types…” Rihanna’s stomach growls and she chuckles. “Wow. That was so interesting I forgot about how hungry I was! That guy is really something, huh?”

I nod. Something in me, a sort of innate sense, tells me that despite Rihanna’s confusion, every word that guy said was true. A simple man, then, with simple goals, but likely not a simple past. “Yeah. He really was.”

Rihanna and I have our lunch and talk a little about what happened, but the conversation quickly moves on to our training. Apparently we’re supposed to go back to the guild for special training of some kind. Maestro’s orders. Rihanna speculates on what it could be but it’s just idle chat.

We pay for our food and leave the shop. I stretch and sigh as we start down the road again. “Hey, Maestro did say we should be prepared for a mission this afternoon, right?”

Rihanna nods. “Yeah. Whatever the special training is, it involves a mission. Think we should go stock up on supplies?”

I nod back. “We’d better. It’s always better to have and not need than need and not have.”

Rihanna checks our team bag. “Alright, I think we need to stock up on magic replenishment herbs. And maybe a little food.”

I smile. “Alright! Let’s go!”

Rihanna leads the way to a shop near the center of town, where the guild is. “This is Leon and Marshall’s! They’re twin brothers who run a shop together! They sell just about anything an explorer could need,” she explains as we walk inside. “All kinds of things, including the stuff we need.”

Leon, a jolly old man in a fancy green coat, approaches. “Rihanna! It’s great to see you again! Why haven’t you been here the past few weeks? I’ve missed you, child.”

Rihanna beams. “Leon! Well, there’s a reason for that. It’s because I’ve been training as an explorer at the guild!”

Leon gasps happily. “Oh, that’s wonderful news! You finally got up the courage to apply?”

She nods. “Yup! All because I met Sylvester! He’s my teammate!” She gestures to me. “Sylvester, this is Leon! I’ve been coming here since I was little to buy explorer books so he’s a friend of mine!”

“Indeed I am. It’s nice to know dear Rihanna has a new friend! And a friend who can watch out for her on explorations, no less! So, Rihanna, what can I get for you?”

She reaches into our bag and pulls out the wallet we use for our team funds. “I need some magic replenishment herbs. And two Nutro Apples, since we may be going on a mission today!” Nutro Apples are pretty useful, a snack that serves as a whole meal, and a nutritious one at that, specifically grown using the powers of science to ensure explorers could have easy-to-carry meals that would keep them from going hungry. 

“I’ll get that for you in a moment! Feel free to look at other wares!”

Rihana nods and I decide to just look around. A glass display catches my eye and I walk closer. Inside the glass case are many small blue pearl-like orbs. They have inscriptions on their surfaces. Rihanna comes over and smiles. “Oh, yeah! Those are cool. They’re neat explorer tools that we just call Orbs. There are different kinds. Some simply teleport you, some can glow and make a bright flash when you shatter them, and some can even call team members to you!”

“Whoa, that is cool. Think we should get one?”

Rihanna thinks for a moment. “Well… if we use it properly, we can afford to buy one. Which one do you think we should get?”

“What’s the one that teleports you?”

“Oh! The warp orb! You just throw it and it’ll break on impact. You’ll teleport to wherever it lands! Does that sound good?”

I nod. “Yeah. We can save it for when we need it.”

Rihanna taps the bell on the counter. “Leon! Can you get us a Warp Orb as well? Just one!”

Leon’s voice comes from the backroom. “Absolutely!” Leon brings our order and Rihanna pays for it as he smiles. “Come again, you two! Tell my brother and I all about your adventures!”

I’m about to leave when I see two brown-haired, mousy-looking boys come walking in. One can’t be older than 8 years old, while the other is about 14 years old. The younger one has rosy red cheeks and bounces around happily, while the older one keeps a protective eye on him. The older kid steps forward. “Hi Mister Leon! We’ve come to buy two Nutro Apples to have for snacks today!”

“Absolutely, boys! Coming right up!” He smiles softly at them and heads back to the backroom. He comes back a moment later with four Nutro Apples. “Here you are!”

The older boy frowns. “Oh, I’m sorry sir, we only have money for two today. We can’t pay for four.”

“And you don’t have to. Those two are my treat to you boys. I know how hard things have been for you as of late, so giving you a couple extra apples is the least I can do!”

The younger boy beams up at him. “Wow! Thank you Mister Leon!” He picks up the apples to carry them, bundling them in his arms since he doesn’t have a bag. His brother frowns. “You sure you’ve got it, Azu?”

“Sure do, Rill! I can carry them!” He starts toward the door, but just as everyone expected, one of the apples falls down. It bounces and rolls toward me. Azu groans. “Aw, man! Rill, I do need some help.”

I pick up the apple as Azu hands two of the apples to his brother. He comes over to me and I hand him the apple. “Thank you so much! Sorry about that!”

I smile, but before I can respond, I feel a strange sensation. Suddenly I find myself feeling extremely dizzy, and I steady myself by putting a hand on the wall as my vision goes black.

“H-h-HELP!”

My vision returns and I shake my head. Rihanna looks at me strangely, and Azu frowns. Rihanna puts a hand on my shoulder. “Hey, Sly… you okay?”

I nod. “Y-yeah. I think so, at least. Did that scream come from you?” I look at Azu as I ask.

He blinks, seemingly very confused. “Scream?”

“Yeah. I heard a scream and it sounded like your voice!”

Leon frowns. “Are you sure you’re alright, young man? Nobody screamed at all.”

I frown. “Jeez… Must have imagined it. Sorry about that. You and your brother go on your way!” I smile. 

Azu nods. “You both have a good day!” He waves as he and his brother leave the shop. Leon sighs. 

“Those two… if you ever find yourself lacking in determination, just think about them. Their mother has been sick for a long time, so the two of them are working to take care of her. Rill has been watching out for Azu for around two years now. They’re good kids.” Leon smiles. “Anyhow… I wish the two of you luck on your next adventure!” He gives us a small bow and Rihanna smiles, waving as we leave the store. 

“So, what was that about? You looked like you were about to faint. You sure you’re okay?”

I rub my temples. “I’m absolutely positive I heard Azu’s scream back there. But I don’t know why.”

“Maybe you’re just overheated? I told you to make sure you’ve been drinking enough water today. Have you?”

“Yeah, I have. Whatever. I won’t worry about it for now.”

Rihanna shrugs. “True. No need to worry if you’re feeling better already. Oh, hey! Speaking of those brothers, there they are now!”

Rihanna and I walk over to see them talking to a portly man with kind eyes and a long hooked nose. He doesn’t seem old but he gives off the same air as a jolly old man. Rill gasps happily as we approach. “Really? You’re sure that’s where you found it?”

“Absolutely! So long as we’re thinking of the same item. It’s a blue ball-shaped thing, correct?”

“Yeah! That sounds like Azu’s lost water float! I’m so glad we ran into you!”

Rihanna beams. “Pardon! Couldn’t help but overhear. What’s the good news, boys?”

Azu bounces happily up and down. “I lost my water float the other day! It’s a very special item that helps me train my magic properly, so it’s not just very important to me, but it’s also very hard to replace! And Mister Conrad here says he knows where it is!”

“I surely do!” Mister Conrad tips his hat to us. He’s wearing a suit and tie, the suit a drab yellow color while the tie is brown, and brown leather walking shoes. “I wasn’t aware anyone had lost it, so I left it undisturbed and simply made my way to town. And what happens but that I run into these boys, the owners of that item! Sheer destiny, I tell you.”

“That’s so great,” I say with a bright smile. “Well, hopefully he really did find it for you! I’d hate for it to just turn out to be something other than your item.”

“I’ll just keep hoping,” Azu says. “Anyway, Mister Conrad is going to take us there right away! He says it’s on the mountain just outside of town!” The mountain he’s referring to is an extinct volcano with lots of shards of sharp rock and obsidian lying around, known as Mount Bristle. It’s a rather wide mountain, but with a sharp upturn near the center where there are around eight or nine sharp peaks with rocky valleys between them, and the houses stop halfway up, turning into nothing but pathways leading to and through the top.

“Mount Bristle! Well, here’s wishing you a good journey!” Rihanna smiles and ruffles Azu’s hair, then Azu and Rill walk with Conrad. 

Conrad takes a step past me, but in doing so accidentally bumps into me. He chuckles and gives me an apologetic look. “Whoops! Excuse me!” He turns to leave when suddenly I’m hit with that dizzy feeling again. Rihanna looks at me with concern but before I can say anything, my vision has changed. 

I see Conrad standing over me, a stern grimace on his face, the kindness in his eyes gone, replaced with a cold greed. “If you keep being difficult, it will mean big trouble for you!”

I hear myself whimpering, although it doesn’t sound like my voice at all. “H-HELP!” I cry out involuntarily.

My eyes snap open and Rihanna breathes a sigh of relief. “Jeez, you’re scaring me, Sylvester! You okay?”

I rub my head, then shake it to clear my brain fog. “I think so. This time I had another vision. And it’s a little harder to describe. I saw… Conrad. And he was standing over me. He threatened me and then I cried for help. This time I know for sure it was Azu’s voice! I think I was seeing things from Azu’s point of view.

Rihanna frowns. “Sylvester… it’s not that I don’t believe you or anything. I know you wouldn’t lie to me. But you saw them! Mister Conrad seemed very nice, and they went off looking like they were gonna have a good time. I just can’t imagine it.”

I sigh. “Maybe. Maybe it’s just a bad daydream.”

“Yeah! You’re probably just overheating or dehydrated or something. That plus the excitement of what happened earlier might be causing this! Let’s just go back to the guild and see what our mission is. If you don’t think you can do it, we’ll just let Maestro know that you’re feeling unwell today. Okay?” She smiles.

I nod. “Sounds good. I think I’ll do that.” I sigh. “Let’s get to the guild.”

Rihanna nods and we make our way back through town to the guild. Lariat is waiting for us when we get there, and he tips his hat. “Howdy doo to both of ya! Y’all all set and ready for some explorin’?”

I nod. “Yeah! We went shopping and ate so we’re all good.”

“Yup Yup! That’s as prepared as ever, I’d say. Alright, I reckon y’all are about ready to hear about your mission, huh?”

Rihanna nods eagerly. “What kind of mission is it?”

“Well, by golly, I would’ve thought Maestro told ya! You’ll be hunting an outlaw today! Maestro’s orders. He figured y’all were ready for it after a few weeks of training.”

Rihanna looks nervous. “You mean we have to go out and face a dangerous criminal?”

“Of course not! These criminals range from petty to the worst of the worst! I’ll help y’all choose a good ‘un to start with, doncha worry!”

Rihanna looks a little more calm with knowing she doesn’t have to choose an outlaw. “Okay….”

Lariat turns to face the wooden message board on the wall. “Now let’s see here… that guy’s too strong… that guy’s too scary… that guy’s got a whole gang… hmmm…”

A tall and bald man with muscles and a big pink nose quickly rushes into the room. “Pardon! I’ve got the updated message board flyers!” He waves around a small stack of paper and waves us aside as we watch him work, replacing some papers, taking others down, and putting up some new ones.

“That there’s Dougie,” Lariat explains. “He’s in charge of makin’ sure we’re up to date on our message boards. It’s a night important job, yup yup!”

Dougie bows to us. “Message board has been updated. Thanks for waiting.” He smiles and heads off toward the other message board, which is filled with missions not involving outlaws.

Lariat stretches. “Alright, time to pick an outlaw! Rihanna, you ready?” He turns to face her. “Hey… you okay?”

Rihanna is shaking. I clench my jaw. “Hey. Rihanna! Talk to me, what’s wrong?!”

“Top left,” she says quietly, and I can hear the anger in her voice. I look up where she told me and my blood freezes in my veins. “No… and to think we-!”

“No time for that,” Rihanna says, seething with rage. “Let’s go! Grab the wanted poster!”

I snatch it and run toward the door alongside Rihanna. Lariat looks confused. “What’s gotten into the both of you?”

I stop for a moment before I go through the door. “Sorry Lariat, we’ve decided on our target! We’re going after Conrad the Swindler!”


End file.
